CONWAY, Ark. – After a heartbreaking loss in overtime against Berry last week, the Centre football team found itself in a shootout against the Hendrix Warriors. In their best offensive game of the season, the Colonels bounced back, winning a wild one by a score of 45-42.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- A good kickoff return by
Sam Murray set the Colonels up in good position on their first series.
Will McDaniel made a couple of long runs and
Nick Osterman completed all five of his pass attempts, capped off by a short toss to Murray for a five-yard score.
- The Warriors answered back on their second series, hitting a long pass play to get into the red zone and converting a goal line jet sweep for a touchdown to tie the game.
- Following another Hendrix touchdown, the Colonels trailed 14-7. On their ensuing drive, Centre methodically went 46 yards, with
Keaton Martin gaining most of them on the ground, until the drive stalled and
Cam Tegge kicked a 30-yard field goal.
- Hendrix continued the onslaught in the second quarter as they scored their third touchdown in as many series and regained their double-digit advantage at 21-10.
- With another short field following a squib kick, the Colonels quickly struck. Osterman hit Murray for 20 yards and then found
Christian Billiter on a 37-yard bomb as the senior receiver made a spectacular catch, dragging his feet in the back of the end zone to make it 21-17.
- The defense forced a three-and-out and the Colonels got the ball back with less than two minutes before halftime. Osterman converted a key 4th down on a scramble, and after a penalty put the ball in the red zone, Osterman connected with
Scotty Brown, who made a great diving catch in the end zone to give Centre a 24-21 lead at the half.
- On the second play of the third quarter,
Jack Colosimo killed a Hendrix drive with an interception that gave Centre possession just past midfield.
- The Colonels quickly went to work again as
Dameon Jones Jr. picked up a couple first downs on the ground and then capped off the drive by scoring from six yards out to go up by ten at 31-21.
- Hendrix answered right back with solid drive of their own, advancing 75 yards in seven plays and cutting it back down to a one-score game at 31-28 halfway through the third period.
- The action continued to go back and forth as Centre put together another surgical drive. Osterman went 5-for-5 on pass attempts and Jones rushed for 18 yards to put Centre in the red zone. A pass interference penalty in the end zone put the ball on the Hendrix 2 and Osterman punched it in on a quarterback sneak to make it 38-28.
- The two teams traded turnovers as the game entered the fourth quarter.
Armon Wells recovered a fumbled handoff, but Hendrix got the ball right back on an interception on the next play and scored 12 plays later to once again cut into the Centre lead at 38-35.
- With the clock on the Colonels' side, Centre used the ground game to chew up yards and time as McDaniel and Osterman grabbed key first downs. The Colonels eventually ended up with a 4th & 12 on the Hendrix 31 and decided to go for it as Osterman hit McDaniel on a beautiful deep ball for a huge touchdown and a 45-35 Centre lead.
- Now with less than three minutes left, Hendrix went on a mad scramble of a drive, taking just under two minutes to score and cut the lead to 45-42. Despite an unfortunate bounce, Wells was able to recover the onside kick and McDaniel rushed for a pair of first downs to seal the deal on a wild win.
NEXT UP
The Colonels will be back at home next weekend for a big challenge as the no. 7 ranked Trinity Tigers come to
Andy Frye Stadium.
